Problems of the Mind
by Who's Your K'norfka
Summary: It's been two weeks since Trigon was destroyed. Since the Earth was saved. And Raven has no idea how to feel. Beast Boy, on the other hand, is far too aware of how he feels. Just as the two begin to admit their emotions, an old enemy returns. But why?
1. Midnight Conflict

This is my first Teen Titans fanfic (actually, it's my first fanfic... hehe.) so if it sucks, I apologize! Spare me! -bows- I'll try not to butcher the show too badly! Might make it a bit too angsty, but oh well. Angst and drama makes the world go round.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Teen Titans in any shape, way, or form. I do own this story and plot and whatever. So yeah. Steal it and you'll have a bazillion people chasing after you with pitchforks, torches, and sporks. And _meat loaf. _Oh. You're scared now. I can tell. -cough- Anyways. Enjoy.

It had been nearly two weeks since the Earth had been saved.

Two weeks of freedom.

Raven stood alone on the roof of the Tower, the moonlight casting a soft glow on her dark features. The breeze toyed with her violet hair, her cloak swirling about her ankles. Emitting a small sigh, the girl sat down on the edge of the roof, her deep blue eyes staring out at the water.

_Two weeks of freedom, and I don't feel any different._

How long was it going to take for her to finally figure out her emotions? How long would it be until she could finally hang out with her friends and enjoy life without having to worry about killing everyone around her?

She was usually a very patient person, but by now, she was getting a little irritated.

"Raven?"

The quiet voice was easy to recognize, so Raven didn't both to turn around. Glancing sideways as Beast Boy say next to her, she arched an eyebrow slightly. Wasn't he supposed to be the lazy one? What was he doing awake?

Not that she minded him being there or anything. It was just weird.

"You're up late," said she. Beast Boy shrugged a little and stretched his arms out, yawning. "Couldn't sleeeeeeeep," he said as he let out another yawn. "Since when can't _you _sleep?" Raven asked skeptically. "Did you take too long of an afternoon nap earlier or what?" "Ha ha, funny," Beast Boy gave her a playful glare, then looked out at the water.

"Actually... I was kind of worried about you."

Raven's eyes widened a little with surprise as she folded her arms across her chest, following his gaze out to the water. _He _was worried about _her_? Since when? More importantly, why? Her dark eyes traveled back to him, giving him a semi-curious look. Beast Boy grinned and blushed a little as he looked back over at her, reaching up with one gloved hand to scratch his head. "I mean, y-you know," he stuttered slightly, looking mildly embarrassed. "The whole Trigon thingy. You've just seemed kind of... I dunno." Raven's eyes narrowed at his words, forming a trademark Raven glare.

"I've seemed kind of what?"

Beast Boy visibly gulped, looking as though he wished he hadn't said anything at all. "Just..." he trailed off a bit, shrugging again. "Just kind of lost." Raven blinked once, watching him curiously.

_Lost? What does he mean by that? Yeah, I've been confused, but that's a given. You don't just destroy the creature that's been haunting you for sixteen years and then leave the battle feeling perfectly normal. _

"Are you okay?"

She snapped back to attention at Beast Boy's voice, and nodded her head a little, reaching up with one hand to brush a few strands of violet hair out of her dark eyes. "Yeah, fine," she muttered. She shrugged a bit as she folded one pale, bare leg over the other and looked back out at the moonlit waters. "You'll tell me if you need anything, right?" Beast Boy asked, concern lacing itself into his words.

Raven remained silent.

And Beast Boy couldn't help it.

"Come on, Raven!" he exploded. "When are you going to trust us enough to tell us things? I'm your friend! I just want to help you!" Raven turned to glare at him, her eyes narrowed threateningly as she stood up. "If I wanted you to know things, I would tell you." Her voice came out in a low growl, her eyes narrowing further as Beast Boy stood up as well, tilting his head up so he could glare at Raven.

"Why won't you tell us anything? What do you think we're going to do, make you the hot gossip topic?"

"Wouldn't be surprised if you did!"

"Raven, I won't tell anyone if you tell me something important!"

"Really? Just about everything comes out of that big mouth of yours."

"If it's something private, I'm not going to run around telling everyone!"

"I'm sure. You told Terra a lot of our secrets, if I remember correctly."

_Oh, crap._

Raven's gaze dropped, trying to avoid the hurt look in Beast Boy's bright green eyes. _Apologize, you idiot. He didn't deserve that. _

Even if he _had _told Terra a lot of things.

When Raven looked back up, Beast Boy was walking back towards the stairwell that lead to the inside of the Tower. She wanted to reach out to him, call him, ask him to come back, but for some reason, she couldn't. So she merely watched as her friend disappeared inside their home before she turned to look back out at the ocean.

_I have to be the biggest idiot to ever walk the face of the Earth. _

Beast Boy shook his head, reaching up with one hand to massage his forehead. "Stupid, stupid, stupid," he muttered as he made his way back to his room. Why couldn't he ever talk to her without messing up? As he reached his room he slammed his fist against the button, causing the door to slide open with a hiss. As it shut behind him, Beast Boy transformed into a sparrow and fluttered to the top bunk, then quickly shifted into his human form as he collaped on the bed, his emerald eyes staring up at the ceiling.

_Way to go, Gar. You just couldn't keep your big mouth shut, could you? She didn't have to bring up Terra, though. Maybe I deserved it, but still. _

He groaned and rolled over onto his stomach, kicking his shoes off onto the floor of his dwelling.

Why couldn't he talk to her the way he did to everyone else?

To the rest of his friends, or whenever they were around, he was just a goof. A total dork. And he knew it.

But around Raven... he just seemed to always screw things up.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, he thumped his pillow, his eyes glued to the wall in front of him. _Why do I always act like such an idiot when I'm around her? _he thought, gritting his teeth together. _You're such a lady's man, Gar. Yelling at them always makes them swoon._

_Ha. And yet I always wonder why Robin gets all the girls. Maybe because he doesn't spaz out like I do._

He wasn't quite sure why he was asking himself all of these questions. He already knew the answer. He didn't want to admit it, or acknowledge it, but he was pretty sure he knew why he kept messing up every time he was near Raven.

_She's not like Terra._

His feelings towards her might be the same as the blond girl, but for some reason, he couldn't act the same way around Raven as he did around Terra. Or, as he _had_.

That was really the only question he didn't have the answer to.

Shifting restlessly in his bed, he sat up as he heard a soft sliding noise coming from the hall. Raven had probably gone back to her room. He flopped back down on his bed, one arm dangling over the edge of the mattress as he shut his eyes, rehearsing what to say the next time the two were alone.

"Sorry for being an idiot. I really like you, and I hope that you'll forgive me for always being so stupid."

_Even if you could be a bit less of a royal jerk._

Letting out a strangled groan, Beast Boy rolled over on his side, running one hand through his hair. "Gah," he muttered, pursing his lips.

_Crap, crap, crap. _

_This majorly, majorly sucks. _

_And I'm the biggest idiot to ever walk the face of the Earth._


	2. Problems of the Heart

Buahahaha. Fear my Gar x Rae shipperness. It's not my fault, I swear! Jai Jai, this is your fault XP I totally blame you. Oh well.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Teen Titans in any shape, way, or form. This story, however, is totally pwned by me. Because I just rock like that.

"GAH!"

Beast Boy's ears drooped as he stared at the inside of the fridge, whipping out the empty carton of soy milk.

"Who drank all of my soy milk!"

Raven arched an eyebrow as she looked up at him from her place on the sofa, a cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other. "Maybe you did," she suggested sarcastically before taking a sip of her tea and turning her attention back to the pages of her book. Beast Boy glared at her, opening his mouth to voice an angry retort, but quickly snapped it shut as Starfire floated in, the usual cheerful smile stretching across her tanned face. "Greetings, friends!" she cried, clasping her hands together and grinning brightly at Beast Boy and Raven. "Is it not a most wonderful morning?" She spun slightly as she made her way to the sofa, sitting next to Raven. "Please, friend Raven," she said, "would you like to journey to the mall of shopping later this day? I believe they are sailing shoes-"

"No."

Starfire tilted her head and looked over at Beast Boy, a confused frown on her face. Was it just her, or did Raven sound even more irritable than usual? Beast Boy caught her look and shrugged, his gaze traveling to Raven. "Perhaps later, then?" Starfire asked quietly. Raven's dark eyes shifted from her book to glare coldly at Starfire before she snapped the large tome shut and stood up, floating out of the room. Starfire and Beast Boy watched her silently before looking over at each other. "Is Raven well?" asked Starfire. "She's just..." Beast Boy shrugged as he trailed off, tossing the carton of soy milk into the trash. "I'll go talk to her."

_And hopefully I won't screw up this time._

Leaving Starfire alone on the sofa, Beast Boy jogged out of the room after Raven, slowing his pace as he caught site of her in the hall.

"Raven?"

The dark girl stopped, turning to glare at him.

"Sorry. No juicy gossip for you today. Try again tomorrow."

Beast Boy froze as Raven turned on her heel, continuing on her way down the hall towards her room. He trotted after her, concern and hurt splashed across his face. "Raven, what's wrong?" he asked in a barely audible voice. "Please tell me." He reached out with one hand to place it on his friend's shoulder.

_Crap._

He almost pulled away, expecting Raven to turn and snap at him for touching her, but he watched her with surprise as she stopped, her eyes finding her blue shoes absolutely fascinating. "Raven..." he started to speak, but couldn't form the words he wanted to say. They sounded fine in his head, but knowing him, he would probably mess it up once he tried to speak.

Oh well. He could always try.

"Never mind," he said softly. "If you don't want to tell me, it's fine. I just want you to know that I'm here if you need me, okay?"

_Wahoo! That actually came out right! Success!_

He quieted his excited thoughts as Raven turned her head to look at him, her expression surprisingly soft. Hey, perhaps she really didn't want to kill him. What surprised him more than her expression was the word that fell from her mouth.

"Thanks."

A smile tugged at the corner of Beast Boy's mouth as he shrugged, and to his growing surprise, Raven returned the smile before she turned and started walking towards her room.

"Uh, Raven?"

She stopped, looking back at Beast Boy again. He gulped and reached up to scratch his head, already starting to feel the a red blush spread across his cheekbones and the bridge of his nose. "I, uh, I was wondering," he stuttered. "Maybe, erm, sometime, I mean, tomorrow, maybe, I dunno..." he gulped again, trying to gather his thoughts. "Do you want to go and erm, get some dinner, or something? Or not, I mean, if you don't want to..." He squeezed his eyes shut, wiping one hand down his face as he tried to push down the butterflies that were performing some sort of tap dance in his stomach. When his bright green eyes opened again, he blinked once, surprised to find that Raven was watching him curiously from under her hood, instead of trying to kill him.

"Are you asking me out?"

The blush grew and spread across his face as Beast Boy folded his hands together behind his back.

"Um, yeah."

_Please don't kill me, please don't kill me, please don't kill me..._

But Raven just arched an eyebrow and nodded her head a little, a faint blush creeping across her pale features.

"Er, sure."

And she turned and floated around the corner, disappearing from sight.

And Beast Boy couldn't help jumping up and punching the air with triumph.

"SWEET!"

_Ha! Who would have thought that I could get RAVEN, of all people, to go on a date with me?_

_I must be getting good at this whole dating thing. Move over, Robin and Cyborg, I'm the new lady's man of the Tower!_

"Oh, and Beast Boy?"

He blinked a bit as he Raven poked her head back to look at him, her dark eyes narrowed.

"If you tell _anyone_, I'll rip your eyes out and use them as ping-pong balls. Okay?"

Beast Boy's hands flew protectively to his eyes as he gulped yet again, nodding. "O-okay," he stuttered, then peeked between his fingers to see Raven smirk with amusement before she disappeared.

_Ohhhhh, man. What am I getting myself into?_

_Oh well. She's definately worth it._

Performing a little spin in the middle of the hallway, Beast Boy began to hum brightly as he made his way back to the main room, where Starfire was making some sort of Tamaranean dish that most likely had a name he would never be able to pronounce.

Despite the terrible smell and the loud squeal of the fire alarm as smoke rose from the kitchen, Beast Boy was one pretty happy green kid.

_Please tell me I didn't do what I just think I did._

Raven shook her head as she swept off her cloak, hooking it on the coat rack before she collapsed onto her bed.

"No. Way."

Her dark eyes traveled to the chest that she kept locked in the corner of her room, and she stood up, floating towards it. Reaching down, she unlocked it and lifted the lid, which creaked slightly. Her expression hardened as she looked down at the dusty, white book. One hand stretched out, picking the book up so she could look at it better.

_There's no way in hell I can go out with him, of all people. Yeah, there's something there. Maybe. I don't know. I just know I don't feel the same way about him as I do towards the rest of my friends._

_Is that why I'm always such a jerk to him?_

_Either way, I can't get into any sort of relationship. It would merely be a distraction. Something to get in the way. Besides, even if we don't always get along, we have our moments. And honestly, I'm really, really glad that he's my friend. He always tries to make me feel better._

_It usually doesn't work, but at least he tries. _

When Malchior had betrayed her, he was there. Whenever she was angry or hurt or upset, he was the first one there to make her feel better. Setting the book back down in the chest, Raven sighed a little. She'd only been involved in one relationship. And it certainly hadn't ended well.

But hey. It was only one date. What was the harm?

Much more than she would ever know.


	3. Disappearance, Reaquaintance

Dun dun dunnnn. And now the plot begins! How. Much. Fun. I can hardly stand it. Thank you, people who bothered to read this, for sticking around. I'll be on a lot this weekend, so that means I'll be writing a lot! Buahahahahaha! Fun stuff, people. Fun stuff.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Teen Titans in any shape, way, or form. This story, however, is totally pwned by me. Because I just rock like that.

_It was silent. It was beautiful. It was peaceful._

_Azarath, despite the amount of people, was always so tranquil and serene. Raven could hardly stand how much she adored the floating city. With it's ancient architecture, beautiful gardens, and doves dotting the sunny sky, the beauty was enough to bring a tear to your eye. _

_But not for long._

_The sky darkened. Maniacal laughter rang out over the city as people stopped, staring up at the sky in confusion. Suddenly, four red, glowing eyes appeared in the sky, and everyone's confusion was laid to rest._

_It was their time to go._

_Red beams shot from the sky, smashing buildings and destroying lives in bursts of flames. The ancient temple slowly burned to the ground as people ran, screaming, trying to find some way to avoid the terror._

_It was a hopeless cause._

_Within minutes, the buildings were nothing but piles of ash. Bodies lay scattered everywhere, and the acrid smell of burnt hair and skin poisoned the air._

_And all Raven could do was watch, and cry._

Her dark eyes flew open, and Raven found herself staring at the ceiling of her bedroom. With a groan, she sat up and looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost four in the morning. Sighing a bit, she reached up with both hands to massage her temple before she folded the blankets back and slipped out of her bed. Clipping on her cloak and shoes, the girl's eyes glowed brightly as she disappeared through her window in a swirl of darkness.

Those nightmares were going to drive her mad, one of these days.

She floated there, in the middle of the air, staring out at the water.

The nightmares had plagued her ever since the day that she had returned to Azarath, to find that it had been destroyed. Every night, her slumber was interrupted by terrified screams, flames licking at the Temple, the horrible laughter over the noises of destruction.

And it wouldn't stop.

Pulling her hood up over her violet hair, Raven continued to look out at the water, floating cross-legged as she tried to think.

A soft thump interrupted her train of thought.

"Beast Boy?"

He was the only person she had seen up at night lately, so she figured it was probably him.

She was wrong.

A tall, dark figure stood on the roof of the Tower, watching her. And suddenly, it jumped. Raven's eyes widened with surprise as the figure tackled her in the air.

For a moment, the two merely hung in the air as they fell.

And then they hit the icy water below, Raven's scream echoing through the night before she was enveloped in darkness.

"Erghf?"

Beast Boy groaned as he sat up in bed, looking around his room with one eyebrow raised in confusion. Was it his imagination, or had someone screamed?

Better safe than sorry.

Stumbling rather clumsily from his bed, Beast Boy let out a small yelp as he tumbled off the ladder of the bunk bed, landing on his floor with a thud. Urgh. It was way too early for him to be trying to climb up and down things. Yawning loudly, he made his way over to the door, pressing the button next to it to open it.

A thin figure stood in the hallway, and he let out another yelp.

"Beast Boy?"

"Starfire?"

The two stared at each other, both looking rather confused, before they pointed at each other.

"Was it you?"

"I am not understanding what you are asking. Did you hear a scream?"

"Yeah. You did, too?"

"So it was not my imagination... then who was it?"

Beast Boy blinked with confusion and ran one hand through his dark green hair. "Erm... oh, no." His eyes widened. That scream certainly had not been Cyborg or Robin.

_Raven!_

He frowned, trying to think, which was quite a difficult task that early in the morning. "Raven." Starfire's bright emerald eyes widened, and she clasped her hands together. "We must go see if friend Raven is hurt!" Beast Boy let out a surprised squeak as Starfire grabbed his arm and quickly zipped off in the direction of Raven's room.

"FRIEND RAVEN! ARE YOU WELL!"

You could almost see the sweatdrop near Beast Boy's head as Starfire yelled at the door of Raven's room. "Er... Star?" said he, lightly poking her shoulder. "That's probably not the best way to see if she's okay." He reached out to open the door, his eyes widening as he realized that the room was empty. Starfire gasped behind him as she flew inside Raven's room, looking around before she turned back to Beast Boy. "I do not believe she is here," she said quietly, her voice quavering worriedly. Beast Boy's eyes narrowed, and he motioned for Starfire to follow him as he transformed into a cheetah, racing towards the stairs that lead to the roof. He couldn't see if Starfire had followed him or not, but he was sure she had. Sure enough, once he reached the roof, he looked behind him to see Starfire floated behind him, looking around with a look of apparant worry on her pretty face.

"Beast Boy, Raven is not here."

Beast Boy's eyes narrowed as he shifted into a bloodhound, and immediately began to sniff the ground before he turned back into a human, a frown on his normally cheerful face. "She _was _here, though."

He looked back at Starfire, who's bright emerald eyes were wide.

"Then where is she now?"

Beast Boy gritted his teeth and shrugged. "No idea." Starfire let out a small, worried whimper as she floated back towards the stairs. "I shall go and inform Robin and Cyborg," she said quietly before she disappeared down the stairs. Beast Boy remained on the roof, glaring down at his shoes, his hands curled into fists.

_She wouldn't just leave, would she? Not without saying goodbye. She would never do that._

_Raven, where are you?_

Raven groaned slightly as her eyes slowly fluttered open, then widened as she looked around her surroundings. She stood up quickly, looking around her, and attempted fly.

It didn't work too well.

She gritted her teeth together as she pulled against the iron chains that imprisoned her hands and feet. She looked wildly around, still unsure where she was.

"Hello? Is anyone here?"

When silence was her only reply, Raven's eyes narrowed, and she looked down at the chains, her eyes beginning to glow brightly.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"

Instead of the intended reaction, the chains glowed bright red, and Raven cried out as a burst of pain ran through her. She fell to her hands and knees, her eyes wide, as she took in a few deep breaths.

_... The hell? Where am I? What happened?_

She stared at the ground, trying to collect her thoughts, when a shadow fell over her, and a familiar, deep voice came from above her.

"Hello, Raven."

The girl looked up, then squeezed her eyes shut and looked back down at the ground before they opened again.

No. Way. Anyone but him.

She winced as a strong hand grabbed her hair, jerking her head up and forcing her to stare at the masked face of the man crouching in front of her. "It hasn't been very long, has it?" Slade asked, his eye narrowing as he stood up, pulling Raven up by her violet hair. "Only a few weeks, I believe." Raven glared at him, her eyes narrowing into her trademark 'Let me go before I go four-eyed on your ass' glare. "What do you want?" her voice came out in a hiss, in a sort of warning.

A warning of what she would to do him if he didn't let her go.

Slade let go of her hair, folding his arms across his chest as he stared down at the dark girl.

"It's not what I want, Raven. It's what _you _want. And what I already have."


	4. We Have What You Want

All righty, someone offered me skittles to update, so now I must. -grin- You're right. Nobody can resist the rainbowy goodness. Not even me. And finally, Robin and Cyborg get to show up! Which is kind of sad, because it's like, Chapter 4... but still. Shut up. I just don't love them as much XD ... Yes I do. I don't know why they've been hibernating. I was just too lazy to make them run around. But they're here now, so joy.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Teen Titans in any shape, way, or form. This story, however, is totally pwned by me. Because I just rock like that.

"Friend Robin! Please wake up! Raven is missing!"

Robin yawned loudly as he rolled out of bed with a thump, cursing softly as he reached up to grab his mask off of his nightstand. Quickly placing it on his face, he raced to the door, flinging it open. Starfire stood there, worry plastered to her face. "What?" he asked, his mind feeling slightly cloudy this early in the morning. "I said, 'Friend Robin! Please'-" Starfire began, but blinked with confusion as Robin shook his head. "No, the other part," he sighed, reaching up with one hand to run his fingers through his dark, disheveled hair. "Raven is missing," Starfire said in a hushed voice. "Friend Beast Boy and I are unable to find her. He is looking for her right now, but thus far we have not had any luck." Robin's blue eyes widened under his mask, then narrowed again at the seriousness of the situation. "Go wake up Cyborg," said he, snapping into his role as leader of the Titans. "I'll go help Beast Boy." Starfire nodded, clasping her hands together as she floated quickly down the hall. Robin let out a weary sigh as he raced towards the roof, the most likely place that they would have looked for Raven.

He was right, of course. He was just absolutely brilliant like that.

Beast Boy was already there, a frown on his green face. He looked over as he heard Robin's iron shoes clop on the roof floor, his eyes narrowing a bit for no reason in particular. "What happened?" asked Robin, looking quite worried for someone who had just been awoken by a Tamaranean pounding loudly on his door at four in the morning. Beast Boy shrugged, his gloved hands curling into fists. "She was here," he said shortly. "And now she's not." "Any sign of a struggle?" Robin asked, looking around. Beast Boy shook his head.

"Not that I can see."

Robin looked back at his friend.

It was amazing how he could give the impression of arching an eyebrow, even when they were hidden under his mask.

"You seem pretty upset. Are you okay?"

Beast Boy shrugged again, folding his arms across his chest. Was he okay? Physically, yes. Mentally, probably not. Emotionally, definately not. Either Raven had run off without so much as a 'See ya,' or she had been taken by someone. The thought of either one made him feel sick to his stomach.

She _had _been acting weird lately. But that was to be expected. She wouldn't just leave, would she?

"Beast Boy?"

The young green man snapped back to attention at Robin's voice, and he nodded. "Uh, yeah," he muttered. "I just hope Raven's okay." Robin flashed him an understanding smile and nodded. "Don't worry," he said. "Raven can take care of herself." Both boys turned as Starfire and Cyborg approached them, worried looks on both of their faces. "I can try to get a signal on Raven's locator," Cyborg said before letting out a loud yawn. "Man. Leave it to Raven to disappear when normal people are sleeping." Beast Boy froze, turning and walking up to Cyborg. He drew himself up to his full height (which really wasn't saying much) as he tilted his head back to glare up at Cyborg, his eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean, 'normal' people?"

Cyborg arched an eyebrow, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Chill, man, I was just kidding." He looked down at Beast Boy curiously, Robin and Starfire's expressions matching his. "Are you okay?" Beast Boy's scowl deepened as he backed away, then turned and started walking.

If anything happened to Raven, he would never be able to forgive himself.

And if she had left without saying goodbye, he would never be able to forgive her.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Raven gritted her teeth together, her dark eyes narrowing as she watched Slade. "Temper, Raven," he taunted quietly. "I have something that you might be interested in." Raven's eyes narrowed further, but she remained silent as her eyes followed his every move. "I'm sure you know the fate of your beloved Azarath, correct?" Slade asked, leering at her with the only showing eye.

Raven remained silent, waiting for him to finish.

"I'll take that as a yes. In any case, you only know part of what happened."

Slade stopped pacing and stood silently for a moment, watching the young woman struggle against the chains that bound her to the floor, before he spoke again, his voice sounding slightly echoed from the inside of his mask. "I some of the books from the library."

Raven froze, her eyes widening as she stared at him in shock. "You stole from the library?" she asked in disbelief. "Those books are sacred! You can't just walk in and take them!" Slade shook his head as he continued to pace around the room. "You're welcome," he said somewhat airily. "If it weren't for me, those 'sacred' books would be piles of ash right now." Raven fell silent again, and content to glare coldly at Slade as he turned away, his back facing her.

"With those books, you might be able to rebuild Azarath, couldn't you?"

Raven stared at him, her eyes widening again, but then immediately narrowed. Even if somehow he actually had managed to get the ancient tomes, he wouldn't just give them to her, no strings attached.

She still doubted he even actually had the books.

"I don't believe you. You're just lying."

Slade turned his head to look back at her, remaining silent for a moment before he spoke.

"Would you like to see them for yourself?"

Without waiting for an answer, he clapped his hands together. Moments later, an elderly man in a suit came in, carrying several large books. Despite their size, he didn't appear to be having any trouble carrying them. "Thank you, Wintergreen," said Slade as he took the books. The man nodded and quickly left the room. Even though the room was dark, Raven could easily recognize the three ancient books. As Slade held them out to her, she was positive.

They were the real thing.

"Think about it, Raven. You could have your home back. You might even be able to have a family again. Wouldn't it be wonderful to help so many people? It's the only way to make up for what you've done."

His voice sounded as though he were smirking behind his mask. Raven scowled, watching him carefully. "And what do you want in return?" "Now, Raven, what makes you think I want anything?" Slade asked, pretending to sound offended. As Raven's scowl deepened, he folded his arms across his chest. "Alright. As I'm sure you know, I haven't had very much luck with apprentices in the past." Raven's eyes widened again, the blood draining from her already pale face, as she guessed what he was talking about.

"But you know what they say, Raven... 'third time's the charm.'"

"Do you know where she is yet?"

"Dude, calm down. I should get a lock on her in just a minute."

"I thought all that high-tech junk was supposed to be the best! Why haven't you found her yet?"

"Beast Boy, we know you are upset, but please, you must calm down."

Beast Boy's bright green eyes found his shoes quite fascinating, his pointed ears drooping miserably. "Sorry. Just worried about her." "Since when do you care so much about Raven?" Robin asked, arching a brow under his mask. A blush spread across Beast Boy's face, and he gulped, reaching up to scratch his head. "I-I'd be worried if anyone was missing," he stuttered slightly, feeling his friend's gaze upon him. "Not just Raven." The other three gave each other a knowing look, trying not to burst out laughing. Starfire smiled down at Beast Boy, throwing her arms around him in a trademark Starfire death-hug. "Do not despair, friend Beast Boy!" she crowed. "We shall soon find Raven and whoever has taken her and all will be well again?"

"Are you sure someone took her?"

Robin, Starfire, and Beast Boy looked over with surprise at Cyborg, who looked as though he wished he hadn't opened his mouth. "I mean, she has been acting kind of weird lately..." he trailed off, shrugging. Beast Boy stared at him, his face hardening into a scowl. "What are you talking about?" he said, his voice elevating to a shout. "Raven wouldn't just run off! So maybe she has been acting a little crazy. But she just went through a huge change! She's confused, but she wouldn't take off without telling anyone!" He stopped as he felt Starfire's hand on his shoulder, a concerned expression on her face. "Sorry, man," Cyborg shrugged again. "Just thinking out loud." Suddenly the tracker on his arm beeped, a red dot flashing brightly. The four looked down at it, their faces suddenly several shades paler.

Next to the dot was a familiar 'S' symbol.

"She's with _Slade_?"


	5. Would She?

Awlright! I got more skittles! Dude, I have the best reviewers ever. XD Dun dun dunnnnnn! Drama, drama, drama. How much fun is that. I'll try and write a few more chapters today, but alas, I go back to the Hell Hole (aka my mother's house) later tonight so I won't be able to write much, if at all, for about two weeks. Groan. Cyborg lovers, never fear, he was kind of an accidental jerk in the last one but he'll be nice in this one. -nodnod- Oh yes.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Teen Titans in any shape, way, or form. This story, however, is totally pwned by me. Because I just rock like that.

"Raven?"

Cyborg frowned as he knocked lightly on the dark girl's door. He knew she was in there. Ever since she had arrived back at the Tower two days ago, looking weary and upset, she had locked herself in her room. Indeed, Raven was lying on her back on her bed, her dark blue eyes glued to the ceiling.

_Think about it. Either you lose any chance of ever getting your home back, or you lose your little 'friends.' You have three days to think about it._

Slade's words echoed throughout Raven's mind, drowning out Cyborg's knock on the door. She had one day left. Lose Azarath again. Lose her friends. Lose Azarath. Lose friends. Either way, it would leave a gaping whole in her already broken heart. "Dammit," she muttered as she rolled over, thumping her fist against her pillow. She looked up with surprise as her door slid open, Cyborg's large frame casting a shadow into her room. "Rae, are you okay?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. Raven rolled over onto her back again before she sat up, her pale legs dangling over the edge of her bed. "Yeah," she muttered, "Yeah, I'm fine." She didn't dare look at Cyborg's face. He knew he wouldn't believe her. "Is it okay if I come in?" He asked gently, a hint of brotherly protectiveness edging its way into his tone. Raven shrugged a bit, her gaze dropping to the floor. Her bed squeaked loudly as Cyborg came in and sat down next to her. "What did Slade say?" his words came out in a quiet, worried voice. Raven remained silent for a moment before she opened her mouth to speak in a hoarse whisper.

"He wants me to be his newest apprentice."

Cyborg's real eye widened as he looked down at his friend. That wasn't really what he had been expecting. It should have been, but for some reason, it wasn't. He reached over to wrap an arm around Raven's thin shoulders in a supportive, one-armed hug as Raven tucked her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. "Let me guess," he said, "he blackmailed you with something?" Raven shrugged again. Was threatening to destroy the only thing left of her home considered blackmail?

Yeah. Probably.

The anger she felt was almost overwhelming. What surprised her, though, was that she wasn't really angry with Slade. She was just angry with herself.

Angry that she was even considering betraying her friends for her own selfish gain.

But if she didn't take this opportunity, she would never, _ever _be able to get Azarath back. Those books contained all of the history, the beliefs, the ideas, everything about Azarath.

Realizing Cyborg was still waiting for an answer, Raven nodded her head slightly, her violet locks sheilding her face on either side. "He has some things that used to belong to a friend of mine," she mumbled. "If I don't help him, he'll destroy them." That much was true. Those books had belonged to Azar. When the old woman had died, Raven had promised to make sure nothing bad happened to them.

So much for that plan.

----------------------------------

Beast Boy couldn't help but burst out laughing as Starfire held several strips of bacon up to her head, shouting something in Tamaranean. Even if he didn't get it, it was still pretty funny. Robin chuckled as well as Starfire crossed her eyes, then dropped the bacon to wrap her arms around her sides, practically rolling with laughter. Their laughter faded, however, as Raven and Cyborg entered the room. Well, Robin's and Beast Boy's did. Starfire just floated over to the two, clasping her hands together over the gem on her neckplate. "Greetings, friends!" she cried happily. "Would you like to join us in the making of the faces?" Cyborg glanced down at Raven, who merely stood there, staring straight ahead, her face blank and emotionless. She folded her arms across her chest as her dark eyes darted over to Starfire. "No thanks," she muttered as she floated away from the two into the kitchen, where she quickly poured some water into the tea kettle on the stove. Cyborg watched her for a moment before he motioned for the rest of the Titans to follow him out of the room. Giving him a curious look, Starfire, Robin, and Beast Boy followed him anyway. Once they were in the hallway outside of the main room, Cyborg's eye narrowed in honor of the seriousness that the situation called for.

"Raven told me what happened with Slade."

Beast Boy's eyes widened a bit, and he had to shove down the little green jealousy monster that suddenly took over. Raven had confided in _Cyborg_? Why not him? True, Cyborg was like the big brother for all of them, but still. He had told her that he was there if she needed him. So why had she gone to Cyborg?

"He's blackmailing her into becoming his apprentice."

Starfire gasped, and Robin's eyes widened behind his mask. Beast Boy could only stare at his half-metal friend. "She's not going to, is she?" he asked with a touch of panic to his voice. "She wouldn't! She would never help him!"

_She wouldn't be like Terra._

Though he didn't say the words, everyone knew they were there.

Cyborg shrugged, shaking his head slightly. "I don't know, man. She really seemed to be considering it. I never thought she would, but..." Beast Boy's ears drooped, and Starfire shook her head as well. "No!" she exclaimed. "Friend Raven is completely loyal to us. She would not help such a bad man!" Robin frowned, folding her arms across his chest. "Slade uses the thing you care about most against you," he said quietly. "Whatever he's using against her, it's got to be something pretty bad."

They all knew he was speaking from experience.

"But what would he use against Raven?" Beast Boy asked, his gaze darting from the three of them. "She said he's got something of hers," Cyborg said, shrugging again. "Or something like that."

Starfire's bright green eyes widened. "Raven would not betray us for her own material gain!" Robin frowned, looking at the ground as he thought. "She might. You have to admit, she's been acting kind of weird ever since Trigon was destroyed."

"I would appreciate it if all of you would stop talking about me behind my back."

The four jumped, turning to face a rather annoyed looking Raven. Her dark eyes were narrowed into a scowl as she pushed past them, floating down the hall towards her room.

Robin's gaze lingered at the spot where she had turned for a moment as he thought, then turned back to look at the rest of his friends.

"I never thought she would, but I think Raven actually might leave us."

-------------------------------

Raven couldn't help it. The moment she entered the safety of her room, two tears slid down her alabaster cheeks. "Dammit," she muttered. "Dammit, dammit, _dammit_." So they all thought she would betray them? Just leave? How could they even think that?

How could she have even considered it?

Letting out a small sigh, Raven lifted her mug to her lips, letting the hot liquid inside run down her throat. She closed her eyes as she enjoyed the taste, then opened them again as she lowered the mug.

As someone reached out to grab her wrists, the cup fell to the floor, shattering on impact.

"Have you thought about my offer, Raven?"

((Gah! I apologize for the short chapter. I haff realleh bad writer's block. -runs off to get sugar- Buahaha. Source of all power.))


	6. One Day Left

Hm. Cannot think of anything to put up here. Oh well.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Teen Titans in any shape, way, or form. This story, however, is totally pwned by me. Because I just rock like that.

What was he doing here?

Raven's dark eyes widened as she struggled to pull away from Slade, who had stepped out of the shadows in the corner of her room. "Get away from me," she hissed. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Slade taunted, his eye narrowing slightly. "You have one day left, Raven. The choice is yours. You know where to find me once you've decided." He let go of her wrists, then turned and pressed the button next to the door, racing out into the hall. Raven could only stand there, stunned, before she wrapped her arms around herself, one hand on the opposite arm as she fell to her knees. She merely sat there, trembling, tears running down her face.

_I don't want to help him! But if I don't, I'll lose Azarath all over again. If I do, I'll lose my friends forever. _

She slowly stood up, her eyes glued to the ground, as she walked over to the door, slowly shutting it. "I don't want to," she muttered softly to herself, reaching up with one hand to massage her forehead. She leaned her back against the door, sliding down until she was sitting on the floor.

_If I help him, I could rebuild Azarath. Make it as beautiful and amazing as it used to be. And I could help so many people._

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

Raven's eyes narrowed as she stood back up, reaching back to pull her hood up over her head before she slid the door open a few inches. A short green boy stood there, looking rather apologetic. "Sorry for talking about you," he said quietly. "We're just worried." He smiled a little at her as Raven's expression softened, and her gaze dropped to the ground. "So, uh, I was thinking," Beast Boy began, appearing to be trying to form the words in his mind and trying to get them out as words, but failing miserably. "The whole, er, date, outing, thingy... how about dinner later? There's this really cool restaurant that just opened up that I think might be really neat, and, um, yeah. Is that okay?" A faint red flush blew across Beast Boy's face, and Raven had to arch an eyebrow in amusement. "Sounds fine." "Great!" Beast Boy grinned widely, looking perhaps a bit too relieved. "So I'll just-" he broke off as he realized Raven had shut the door. "I'll just... er... yeah. I'll be back later. Or something." He let out a small, quiet groan as he turned on his heel, setting off down the hall. "Stupid, stupid, stupid..."

Inside her room, Raven had taped a mental 'kick-me' note on her back, and was repeatedly following its directions.

Not literally, of course.

-------------------------------------------------

Beast Boy stood in front of the mirror in his room, glaring at his reflection.

_Okay, Gar. This is big. This is major. This is important. This is... er... dammit. I need a dictionary. Anyway, it's a big deal. So do NOT screw it up. If you do, I'll... crap, why am I talking to myself? I must have gone crazy._

He let out a small groan as he ran his fingers through his short, spiked green hair. "Okay. I can do this. It's just a date. Just a date. Just a date with Raven, of all people. Just a date that, if I screw up, will not only potentially ruin our friendship and cause her to absolutely hate me more than she probably already does, but will also destroy any chances of us ever being more than just friends. No pressure."

With another groan, he fell back onto the bottom bunk, and hit his head on the wall.

"Ow."

He closed his bright eyes for a moment, then opened them again. _Okay... I asked her out. Check. She accepted. Check. I thought of a place. Check. I asked her out. Check. I made reservations. Check. I asked her out. Check. I'm actually still alive._ He glanced down at himself, then nodded. _Check. Unless this is some weird dimension that Raven kicked my ass to and I just imagined this whole thing and right now they're having my funeral back in Living People Land._

_... What the hell? 'Living People Land'?_

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Beast Boy sat up and shook his head. His eyes darted to the clock on the wall. Half an hour until they were supposed to leave. Since the restaurant wasn't rediculously fancy, he hadn't bothered to dress up at all. He didn't like suits, and he knew Raven didn't like dresses. So yeah. No fancy stuff.

Blowing out a breath through his lips like a horse, he stood up, pacing nervously around the room. No, not nervously. When you're nervous, you're scared. He was more of anxious. Anxious was excited.

Oh, who was he trying to kid? He was more terrified than a four-year-old who was afraid of clowns at a three-ring circus.

And _that _was pretty terrifying.

------------------------------------

"So where are you two off to?"

Beast Boy and Raven froze as a familiar voice sounded off behind them. They turned to see Robin standing there, looking mildly confused. "Uh, we're, um," Beast Boy stuttered, looking quite mortified. "I mean, we're not, er-" he clamped his mouth shut as Raven sharply elbowed him, then looked back at Robin. "We're going out for a final sweep of the city, make sure everything's okay." The lie slipped rather easily off her tongue. A bit too easily, Beast Boy thought suspiciously. Like she had a lot of practice. Deciding the subject wasn't worth his attention, Beast Boy nodded quickly, reaching up to scratch his head in embarrassment. Robin gave the distinct impression of raising an eyebrow, but he shrugged. "Okay." He shrugged, watching the two go. After they had taken several steps, Robin reached out and grabbed Beast Boy by the arm, clamping one gloved hand over his mouth. He pulled him back, leaning forward to mutter quietly to him.

"Keep an eye on her."

Beast Boy's eyes widened as Robin let go of him, and he gave his friend and leader and odd look. Robin's eyes narrowed, and Beast Boy gulped before nodding and running after Raven, who had floated off down the hall. Once he had caught up with her, Raven stopped, turning to look at him.

"You all don't trust me, do you?"

Beast Boy blinked once with surprise at Raven's words, and his gaze dropped to the floor. "Er, well, it's not that we don't trust you," he mumbled. "We just... we just don't want anything to happen." Raven glared at him for a moment for she continued to float down the hall. "What does he have that you want?" Beast Boy asked, trotting alongside her. Raven's eyes narrowed under her hood, and she stopped, whirling around to glare at him again. "It's none of your business," she hissed, then sighed as she reached up to massage her temple. "Sorry. I don't mean to be such a jerk. Let's just not talk about it, please?" Beast Boy watched her silently for a moment before he nodded, then smiled a little as he entertwined his hand with hers. "Sure," he said softly. Raven's dark eyes traveled to their hands, a faint blush spreading across her pale face, and she returned his smile with a small, shy one of her own as they reached the roof.

Moments later, she had transformed into a large black raven and Beast Boy into a hawk as they flew away from the Tower.


	7. Decisions

Buahahahaha! It's the chapter you've all been waiting for! Decision time for Raven. Dun dun dunnnnn. Either that, or I'll just write a dramatic cliffhanger. Just to piss y'all off XD Well, nah. You guys gave me cookies and skittles. I must be nice.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Teen Titans in any shape, way, or form. This story, however, is totally pwned by me. Because I just rock like that.

Beast Boy and Raven landed smoothly on the sidewalk outside of the restaurant, the street lamp casting a pale glow on the two of them in the night. Beast Boy grinned as he opened the door, bowing low and pretending to usher Raven in. "After you, m'lady," he joked, putting on a deep voice that really didn't match his height very well. Raven rolled her eyes at his antics as she walked into the restaurant, glancing down at Beast Boy as she arched an eyebrow. "Just because we're on a date doesn't mean you're any funnier," she said, her voice revealing her mild amusement. "Eh heh," Beast Boy grin widened and he shrugged, walking into the restaurant after her. "Two for Beast Boy," he said to the waiter. The light, almost white-haired man nodded as he flipped through the book on the desk by him, then motioned for the two of them to follow him. "Right this way." Beast Boy tilted his head back to whisper to Raven, jerking his thumb towards the waiter. "Dude, check it out!" he whispered excitedly. "He's got an eye patch!" At this, Raven arched an eyebrow again. "Wow," she said, her voice tainted with mock interest, "he's just like a pirate." Beast Boy sent her a sideways glare, pretending to be annoyed. As they sat down at their table, Raven caught the waiter watching her intently through his one eye.

And it hit her.

Raven's dark eyes widened as she stared at the waiter, who smirked and walked back towards the front of the restaurant. Her gaze followed him, feeling her breath catch in her throat.

_No way. He's stalking me now?_

"Er, Raven? I know eye patches are cool, but they're not _that _cool."

Raven's head snapped back to face Beast Boy, who was looking a little confused. "Oh, sorry," she muttered, feeling her face flush as she sat down in the chair that Beast Boy had pulled out for her. "See, I can totally be a gentleman!" he grinned, pretending to flex his nonexistent muscles. Normally, Raven would have glared at him in annoyance, but now she just nodded her head distractedly. "Yeah," she mumbled, absentmindedly flipping through the menu. Beast Boy watched her carefully as he sat down across the table from her. "Raven, are you okay?" he asked worriedly. Raven nodded as she set her menu back down on the table. "Yeah, I'm fine," she shrugged and offered him a tiny smile in hopes of convincing him. Instead, her smile just confused Beast Boy even more.

_Dude, what's going on here? She was fine for a while, and suddenly, boom. All weird again. Ugh. Why can't girls just pick a mood and stick with it?_

"Raven, how rae you doing with the whole Trigon thing?" he asked suddenly. Raven blinked once, slightly surprised as his choice of topic for conversation, and she shrugged again. "I don't know," she said quietly. "It's confusing, but it shouldn't take me too long to get everything all figured out." "Let me know if you need anything, okay?" Beast Boy said with a small smile. "Will do," Raven muttered, looking back down at her menu.

_Yeah, I like him. A lot. There's something there that I don't feel with the rest of them. Do I love him? I doubt it. But we've had our moments. Good ones, and bad ones. _

_Even so, there are things that I will probably never tell anyone. Even him. _

_I have to remember that he's always, ALWAYS, been there for me, ever since I've known him. When Malchior betrayed me, he was the first one there to comfort me. He's protected me and saved my life more times than I can count. Even with all the crap I give him, he's still the nicest person I know._

_But if I told him what I did to Azarath, would he still like me? Would he still want to be friends with someone who could kill so many innocent people?_

"I know you didn't want to talk about this," Beast Boy said quietly, interrupted her thoughts and the silence that had followed her words, "but whatever's going on with Slade, we'll find him and stop it. Promise. But you've got to be willing to tell us things." Raven's gaze remained glued to the menu as she read over the appetizers.

"What's he using to blackmail you?"

Raven's eyes darting up to look at the concerned face of Beast Boy, then slowly lowered back to the menu. _I... I can tell him a bit. Just enough so he knows what's going on, but without knowing what happened. _"Um, you know I'm not from Earth, right?" she asked, not tearing her gaze from the menu. "Yeah..." Beast Boy frowned a little with confusion as he watched her. What did that have to do with anything? "Well, um, a while ago..." Raven shrugged uneasily, folding her thin hands in her lap. "Slade went to Azarath and took some of the really important books from the library before Trigon destroyed it. Now Slade has the books, and if I don't help him, he'll destroy them, too." Beast Boy's eyes widened with surprise at Raven's words, and he felt a small surge of anger. "Trigon destroyed Azarath?" he asked, his voice wavering as it grew in volume slightly. "You're even considering ditching us for a couple of old books?"

_I knew you liked books a lot, but come on, Raven! How could you even think about it?_

Raven's eyes flashed angrily as she glared at him. "They aren't just books," she growled. "They're ancient pieces of literature. They have all of the history and ideas that made Azarath what it was." "They're moldy old pieces of paper!" Beast Boy cried, attracting the attention of some nearby customers. "You would seriously help _Slade _just for something to read for a few hours?" Raven stood up suddenly, knocking her chair over. "They're all that's left of Azarath, you idiot!" she shouted. "With those books, I could get my damn home back! And right now, you're making the decision pretty easy!" Her eyes glowed as a black circle spread out on the floor around her feet, and she sank into it. "Wait, Raven!" Beast Boy yelled, standing up and running over to her. "I'm sorry!"

But she was already gone.

-----------------------------

"Beast Boy? Friend?"

Beast Boy didn't move from his spot on his bed. The door slid open with a hiss as Starfire stepped in, cradling Silkie in her arms. "Would you like to join us for the watching of scary movies?" she asked hesitantly, tilting her head to one side. Beast Boy rolled over onto his side, facing the wall, and shook his head slightly. "Maybe later," he muttered softly. Starfire watched him silently, then ducked her head out of the room, looking at where Cyborg and Robin were waiting. She shook her head, and they sighed. Robin stepped inside the room, looking up at the top bunk where Beast Boy had curled up. "Beast Boy, we know you're upset about Raven," he said quietly. "We all are. But sitting around in your room isn't going to make her come running back. We'll find her, and we'll help her, and we'll beat Slade." Robin's words didn't even seem to reach Beast Boy. At the moment, he was off in his own little world.

_I always thought she was different from Terra. I would have never thought she would leave us, ever. Especially not to help Slade. _

_God, I'm such an idiot. If it weren't for me, she wouldn't have run off! Why couldn't I just keep my mouth shut? Yeah, she was considering betraying us for some nasty old piles of paper. But still! Those books were important to her? Why couldn't I just shut up for once and try to help her, instead of spazzing out?_

_My god, I'm stupid._

_And now we've lost her, and it's all my fault._

_I'm sorry, Raven. Wherever the hell you are. I'm really, really sorry. I didn't mean to get mad, I didn't mean to shout, I didn't mean to ruin everything. I'm so, so sorry._

-------------------------

"You don't have much of a life, do you?"

Raven arched an eyebrow as she looked at the suit that Slade had decided she ought to wear. Her arms and legs were covered in a thin, flexible metal, much like the kind Terra had worn. Thick black gloves ran up Raven's arms to her elbows, though were cut on the hands so that her fingers could poke through. Her body was covered in a black 'dress' type of outfit that fell to the ground, but had long slits on both sides that went up to her thighs. Slade's orange and black 'S' symbol had been placed on her chest. She really didn't look too pleased about having to wear it. "How many however-the-hell-old-you-are men sit around and make up outfits for girls to wear while they run around robbing banks?" Slade smirked behind his mask at Raven's words, reaching out to place one hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Trust me, my dear, you won't just be robbing banks."

Raven backed away from him, several strands of her violet falling in her face as she glared at him.

"Don't touch me, I will never trust you, and I'm not your _dear_." She stared at him angrily, folding her arms across her chest. Slade matched her position, staring down at her.

"Would you like to hear your first assignment?"

"I'm pretty sure I can guess what it is." Raven practically spat out the words as she turned, floating away from him. Suddenly she stopped, turning her head to look back at him. "Oh, and by the way, this had better not be one of those neurological suits like Terra's. It won't work on me."

Her dark eyes narrowed as she continued to walk away from him. The moment he was out of sight, she collapsed to her knees, burying her face in her hands.

_What am I?_


	8. I'm Sorry!

Whee! I finally got my ass on the computer! My mom grounded me ; Eh heh. Anyway. Enjoy Chapter 8. It's all rawr and stuff.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Teen Titans in any shape, way, or form. This story, however, is totally pwned by me. Because I just rock like that.

"But friend Cyborg, surely you have found Raven by now!"

Starfire wrapped her arms about herself, one hand on the opposite elbow, as her bright emerald eyes studied her shoes. "The signal used to track her comes from her cloak," Cyborg muttered as he typed something into the computer in the main room. "And it hasn't moved from the spot where we checked for her last week. She's not wearing it, so there's no way to track her." Robin frowned as he stared at the red dot on the screen. "I still can't believe _Raven_..." he murmured, trailing off, his bright eyes narrowing behind his mask. "She _hates _Slade. I would have never expected her to run off and help him." "It's not like she wanted to," said Cyborg, frowning as well as he clicked on part of the screen. "She was blackmailed, remember?" Robin nodded, looking over as Starfire let out a small whine. "What if Raven is in danger?" she wailed. "She could be lost, or scared, or hungry, or hurt, or being forced to do terrible things, or-" She stopped as Robin rested a gloved hand on her shoulder. "She'll be fine," he said. "This is Raven we're talking about. She'll be okay."

_Now I just have to convince myself of that._

They were also talking about Slade. They had all seen that Raven could do some serious damage to Slade, but Robin also knew what their nemesis was capable of. Truth be told, he didn't know _what _would happen.

"Does anyone know what's going on with Beast Boy?"

Cyborg's voice interrupted Robin's thoughts. The Boy Wonder shrugged and looked over at Starfire, who had her hands clasped over the stone in her neckplate. "He has been undoubtedly upset lately," she said quietly. "But I do not know why." The three of them looked at each other for a moment, then dropped their gazes, all thinking the same thing.

_What the hell happened?_

Suddenly, a blaring noise sounded, and the room flashed red. The Titans looked up, their eyes darting to the screen of the large computer.

Slade.

------------

Raven's eyes glowed brightly for a moment as she returned to her human form, shifting from the dark raven. She glanced around her, then closed her dark eyes for a moment before opening them again.

"Get going."

The deep voice echoed in her ear, and Raven was tempted to reach up and tear the speaker from her ear. "I am," she growled, folding her arms across her chest as she strode quickly down the sidewalk. People stared at her oddly as she passed them, and she glared in return before she rose up about twenty feet in the air. Her eyes glowed again as she raised one arm, palm-up, in the air.

"If you don't wish to die, I suggest you move."

As her hand glowed obsidian, the people below screamed, and immediately began to push each other out of the way in a desperate attempt to escape from the floating girl's attack. Raven lowered her arm, stretching it out straight in front of her, and an apologetic expression passed over her pale face as a dark aura sprang from her hand, blasting a large hole in the wall of the bank. The people inside stared at her blankly for a moment before they all ducked to the ground, covering their heads with their hands.

"See how they cower, Raven? They're afraid of you. Use that to your advantage."

Raven frowned as she walked into the bank. She wasn't really going to take anything. She just needed to get their attention.

And something told her she had it.

"RAVEN!"

She stared at the ground for a moment before she turned slightly to look at her friends, then dropped her gaze, unable to look at their stricken faces. "Friend Raven, please stop!" Starfire cried. "We will not fight you."

"Raven, attack them. Now. Or the books are gone."

_I'm sorry._

Raven squeezed her eyes shut as she heard the metalic clink of Robin's shoes on the floor, and felt his hand on her shoulder. "Raven, we'll help you," he said. "Whatever Slade has, he won't give it to you. This is just another one of his tricks!" Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy stepped closer to her, and Raven's eyes flashed open, revealing two bright, glowing orbs. "This is the only choice I can make," she said quietly, before Robin became encased in a dark aura, and was flung against the opposite wall. "Robin!" Starfire yelped, flying over to him. "Raven, stop it!" Cyborg yelled. "This isn't you, we know it's not!"

"Snap out of it!"

"Please, Raven! We will help retrieve whatever it is that Slade has taken from you!"

"The fireplace is just a few feet from me, Apprentice. If you do not do as I say, the books will be thrown in."

_I'm really sorry._

Raven shot a jet of darkness towards Cyborg, who was flung back from the impact. She turned as she saw Starfire flying towards her, her eyes glowing a bright green. She paused once she was about ten feet away, and for a moment, the two girls floated in the air, staring at each other. "Please, friend," Starfire begged. "I do not wish to fight you, but I will if I must." Raven said nothing, but suddenly a black, raven-shaped aura sprang up from behind her, and launched itself at Starfire, who let out a small cry as it struck her down.

_I'm sorry!_

Raven looked down at the ground, then looked over towards the bank entrance.

Beast Boy was still standing there, just glaring at her, his emerald eyes narrowed. When he spoke, it was in a soft voice, but it shook with anger. "You know, Raven," he growled, "I thought you were different. I thought you were better than her." Raven's eyes widened as she stared at him. "I just want my home back," she whispered hoarsely, clasping her thin hands together. "You already have a home!" Beast Boy yelled, his gloved hands curling into fists. "Why do you need your old one? You would attack your friends, just so you had a new place to live? What's wrong with you?" Raven trembled at his words, and she landed on the ground, wrapping her arms around herself. "If I had Azarath, I could help people," she said quietly. "I could make up for everything I did." "So you're going to hurt people to help people?" Beast Boy cried, waving his arms in the air. "You really are stupid."

_I'm so sorry!_

Raven's dark eyes widened at her friend's words, and she backed up a few steps away from him before she turned, and ran. An ebony swirl appeared on the wall of the bank as Raven ran through it, tears blinding her.

_I'm sorry! I'm really, really sorry! _

_I'M SORRY!_

_... I'm sorry._


End file.
